Tooltip
A small pop-up label that appears on hover or focus to explain an element or give a hint, without permanently taking up space.
Why it matters
A tooltip is an apology with good manners — the interface admitting an element cannot explain itself, then explaining it without taking up permanent space. Used for a keyboard shortcut or an icon's name, it is graceful. Used to carry instructions the user cannot proceed without, it is a design failure on a delay: hover does not exist on touch screens, and a label everyone must read should simply be visible.
The component
Hover or focus the button — the hint appears, costs no space, and the label still works without it. That last part is the rule.
Related terms
On the checklists
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